Chiefs, war vets clash over land
By Fungai Kwaramba, Staff Writer
Monday, 18 February 2013 11:50
HARARE – War veterans resettled in Norton are engaged in a bitter land
wrangle with the local chief, Claudius Mandaza Nyamweda, who is pushing for
their eviction.
The war veterans, led by Willard Zviripi, claim the chief has been taking
their farming and grazing lands on the grounds that they are not descendants
of Mhondoro.
During the chaotic land reform programme of 2000 hundreds of people led by
war veterans grabbed prime farmlands from former commercial white farmers.
However, there always has been friction between chiefs and the settlers.
So far 12 widows have been allegedly kicked out of their plots and homes at
Nyagori Farm, which is on the outskirts of Norton, by chief Mandaza
notwithstanding the fact that they have offer letters issued by government
in 2006.
“We have lost grazing land after the chief settled his own people there, now
we are set to lose more of our land unless government intervenes to save us
from the chief.
“This is indirect colonialism that is coming from the chief. We do not hate
the chief but we hate the system. We went to war to end segregation but now
it is back,” said Zviripi.
Although a letter from the ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban
Development resolved that “Zviripi should continue with his farming
activities without any disturbances” the chief has defied the directive.
Repeated efforts to speak to Chief Nyamweda were fruitless.
The land dispute has been raging for more than five years now and war
veterans say their farming activities have been disrupted as they cannot
plan.
Apart from seeking audience with the district administrator, settlers at
Nyagori Farm have also petitioned President Robert Mugabe, Peter Chanetsa,
the governor of Mashonaland West Province and also various government
ministers.
The draft constitution which has received a thumbs-up from both Zanu PF and
the two MDC formations and is likely to sail through a referendum is set to
end the haggling over land between chiefs and settlers across Zimbabwe.
Chiefs, who are accused by civic society organisations of propping up Zanu
PF through coercing their followers to vote for the former ruling party,
feel that the draft constitution usurps their royal powers.
Clause 15.3 (2) of the Copac draft states that: “Except as provided for in
Act of Parliament, traditional leaders shall have no authority, control or
jurisdiction over land except communal land or over persons outside communal
land unless the cause of the action arose within the area of the traditional
leader’s jurisdiction Mugabe’s critics allege that the land reform that
plunged the country into hunger and drew international condemnation due to
its violent nature was a political gimmick by the crafty Zanu PF leader who
was facing defeat in 2000 from a vibrant opposition MDC which is now part of
the coalition government.